The surface sterilizing effects of ultraviolet radiation has been described in the patent literature. One of the earlier patents to describe such a phenomenon is in U.S. Pat. No. 2,407,379 where an ultraviolet lamp for surface sterilization and general bactericidal use is disclosed.
The concept of using ultraviolet radiation for surface sterilization is well known. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,803,364 describes a toothbrush conditioner which has a housing with an ultraviolet source inside for sterilizing a toothbrush. U.S. Pat. No. 4,448,750 describes a method for disinfecting and/or sterilizing small objects wherein the object to be disinfected or sterilized is vibrated at a frequency range of 8 to 300 KHz while being exposed to an ultraviolet source.
While the above-referenced methods of surface sterilization may find some applications, they are expensive, cumbersome, difficult to use, and have not enjoyed wide commercial success. Moreover, external power sources coupled to the ultraviolet lamp through electrical connectors are typically required.
In an attempt to overcome this problem, U.S. Pat. No. 5,166,528 describes an electrodeless ultraviolet sterilizer device excited by a microwave source. The microwave source is a microwave oven wherein a plurality of bulbs are disposed inside the oven for providing an ultraviolet source. In use, the object to be sterilized is placed in the microwave oven. Power is applied causing the bulbs to emit ultraviolet radiation directed at the object.
Alternative methods to sanitize or disinfect substances have been contemplated. Exemplary is the use of ozone which is increasingly being used in water purification, bleaching, and chemical manufacturing processes where a strong oxidizing agent is needed. Typically, ozone is prepared by a device called an ozonizer, which produces ozone by passing an electric spark through a stream of air containing oxygen. Only a small fraction of the air containing oxygen is converted to ozone by this process. The ozone is directed to the surface of an object to be sterilized where it oxidizes the microorganisms on the surface of the object.
Accordingly, it would be desirable to provide an ultraviolet sterilizer having commercial, industrial, medical and personal applications which simultaneously produces ozone as a byproduct of the sterilization product to achieve a synergistic effect in destroying microorganisms.